American Sniper helmer Clint Eastwood is reportedly circling the director's job on Fox's upcoming film about Richard Jewell, the security guard who was suspected of being a terrorist after discovering a suspicious backpack during the '96 Olympics.

Jewell will be played by Jonah Hill (21 Jump Street), while Jewell's lawyer may be played by Hill's fellow The Wolf of Wall Street star Leonardo DiCaprio.

Exit Theatre Mode

Deadline reports that Eastwood's loyalty to Warner Bros. could be a potential hurdle to a deal. Fox and Warners are reportedly attempting to come to an agreement that would see the two companies co-produce the film, therefore opening the door for Eastwood to direct. Paul Greengrass and David O. Russell are among the directors who have previously flirted with the project, which was once called American Nightmare.

The film itself is based on The Ballad of Richard Jewell, a Vanity Fair article written by Marie Brenner in 1997. The script comes from The Hunger Games and Captain Phillips scribe Billy Ray.

Jordan Sirani is a freelance news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @jdsirani.